More from Erik Hayden
Wall Street Likes Bob Iger’s Disney Growth Vision, So Far
If the first year of Bob Iger’s sequel era leading Disney was centered on “fixing” (and, in some cases, dismantling former chief Bob Chapek’s org structures, along with 8,000 layoffs), the mogul now wants Wall Street to view Hollywood’s marquee brand as a “building” growth vehicle, premised on righting the ship in direct-to-consumer streaming with […]
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Bob Iger On SAG-AFTRA Strike Talks: “We Don’t Have Much Time” to Save Summer Film Slate
In July, on the same day SAG-AFTRA called for its members to strike against Hollywood’s major studios, Bob Iger made remarks at a billionaire’s retreat that cast union asks as “not realistic.” More than 100 days later, the Disney chief gave an update on how the work stoppage has hit his company as talks with […]
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With Streaming Losses Narrowed, Paramount Sees Growth Ahead — Is Wall Street Buying It?
After exceeding revenue estimates and topping expectations for how much it could cut losses in its streaming unit (only $238 million in the red is a win right now), Wall Street analysts picked through Paramount Global’s Nov. 2 earnings report for how it’s faring in a battle to survive in a landscape with far larger […]
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Paramount Cuts Streaming Losses to $238M as Subscribers Grow to 63M
Amid its quest to slim down its asset portfolio to scale up its core entertainment ambitions, Paramount Global hit 63 million global streaming subscribers in the latest quarter (up from 61 million as of the end of June) and kept narrowing losses in its direct-to-consumer segment to $238 million, a possibly encouraging sign for Wall […]
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UTA Executive Jay Sures Denounces Letter on Israel-Hamas Conflict
A top executive at one of Hollywood’s largest talent agencies weighed in at length on Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and denounced a letter that sought to take issue with statements of condemnation that were publicized shortly after the massacre that killed more than 1,400 people. Jay Sures, vice chairman at United Talent Agency […]
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When Stars Wade Into Politics, How Much Do People Listen?
Since Hamas’ attack on Israel, Hollywood studios, guilds, executives and talent have grappled with what, if anything, makes sense for them to speak out about during an escalating war. Perhaps that’s why multiple open letters — Gal Gadot and Amy Schumer were actively involved in one that launched with a website titled “No Hostage Left […]
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Aaron Sorkin Drops CAA After Maha Dakhil’s Israel-Hamas Post: “She’s Just Wrong”
Aaron Sorkin has dropped CAA and returned to WME over a post critical of Israel made by its co-chief of the motion pictures department, Maha Dakhil. “Maha isn’t an antisemite, she’s just wrong. She’s a great agent, and I’m very proud of the work we did together over the last six years. I’m excited to be […]
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CAA’s Maha Dakhil Steps Away From Leadership Role After Israel-Hamas Remarks
After apologizing for a social media post critical of Israel made amid the country’s war against Hamas, CAA’s co-chief of the motion pictures department Maha Dakhil is stepping away from her leadership role in the division for now. Additionally, she’s resigning from the Century City-based firm’s internal agency board. Dakhil, whose clients include Tom Cruise, […]
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Netflix, After Reducing Spend During Strikes, Now Expects Free Cash Flow to Be $6.5B
One week after contract talks between SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers broke down, Netflix leadership gave an update to Wall Street on the status of the talks to resolve a strike that is nearing 100 days and brought most of Hollywood’s production to a halt. “We want nothing more than […]
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Bandcamp Undergoes Major Layoffs After Sale
In a major pivot for a platform that had touted itself as a more artist-friendly destination than streaming giants like Spotify and Apple Music, Bandcamp is cutting a significant number of employees. Songtradr, the Santa Monica-based music licensing service that acquired Bandcamp from Epic Games, said on Monday that it had closed the deal for […]
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SAG-AFTRA, Studios to Resume Negotiations on Wednesday
It’s not over yet. Leadership for performers union SAG-AFTRA and the studios, repped by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, issued a joint statement on Monday saying that talks have ended for the day and outlining next steps as the strike nears its three-month mark. “SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP held negotiations and have […]
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Anonymous Content Cuts Staff As It Searches for CEO
Anonymous Content, the management and production company that backed Oscar winner The Revenant and the upcoming season of HBO’s True Detective, is undergoing a notable round of layoffs. The Culver City-based firm cut 8 percent of around 170 employees companywide, a source confirms to The Hollywood Reporter. Employees were notified of the layoffs on Friday. […]
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